The LeRay McAllister Working Farm & Ranch grant fund allows landowners to purchase land conservation easements for a monetary return on their land.
Purchasing an easement means the landowner will place developmental restrictions on their land such as prohibiting any development or conversion of the land to non-agricultural use, preserving it forever as an open space for agriculture, wildlife, clean water or any other benefit that comes from agricultural land.
In return for these restrictions, landowners are given a monetary return that they can use however they think will best benefit them and the land they own. The amount of money given will depend on the different merits of the land.
“It's like a real estate transaction. But instead of selling the whole property, you're just selling some of the rights that you have that go along with ownership of the property," said Jeremy Christensen, the land conservation program manager for the UDAF.
“And so these landowners that are considering doing an easement, you know, it's a big decision for them because they're seeing their neighbors sell their properties for just these astronomical prices versus thinking about being willing to take you know, pennies on the dollar to give up your development rights and things to do a conservation easement," Christensen said.
With land prices and taxes rising, this grant allows landowners to tap into some of their land equity while also keeping their farm or ranch operating.
Although the application period for this grant is closed, the UDAF wants to continue spreading the word about these conservation easement grant opportunities. According to the UDAF, receiving grant money hasn’t always been consistent but it’s something the agency would like to see continue.
This program started in 1999 and since then has sold close to 50 easements and has conserved over one hundred thousand acres of working agricultural land in Utah.
For more information on this grant go to this link.
